1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to indwelling catheters. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a tunneler device for subcutaneously tunneling a catheter under a patient's skin.
2. Background of Related Art
Catheters are flexible instruments intended for the withdrawal and introduction of fluids relative to body cavities, ducts, and vessels. Typically, a distal end of the catheter is implanted into, for example, the vasculature of a patient to withdraw blood or introduce medicaments. When a catheter assembly is implanted into the vasculature of a patient, the catheter's distal portion is inserted through an incision in the patient's skin and into the vasculature (venotomy site) until the distal tip is precisely located at the desired site, while the proximal portion remains external of the patient for access to the catheter for infusion and/or withdrawal of fluids such as for hemodialysis. The proximal portion may simply extend from the venotomy site and be secured to the patient. Alternatively, the proximal portion may be tunneled under the patient's skin to a site remote from the venotomy site using known procedures. To tunnel the proximal portion of the catheter under the patient's skin, tunneler devices are typically secured to the proximal portion of the catheter to pull the catheter under the patient's skin from the venotomy site to the remote site.
Tunneler devices have one end which is configured to securely engage the proximal end of the catheter. Typically, the engagement end of the tunneler device includes at least one prong which is dimensioned to be received within a lumen or lumens of the catheter. Although this provides somewhat effective connection of the tunneler device to the catheter, detachments are known to occur during a subsequent tunneling procedure. Such detachments may prolong the procedure and require the use of a second tunneler, thereby increasing the cost of the procedure.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a tunneling device including a catheter securement device which is capable of improved securement of the tunneler device to the catheter to prevent detachment during a tunneling procedure.